How To Install Cove Base Tile
If yous're wondering why you demand to include expansion joints when installing tile, you've come to the correct place. Let me explain why they are so of import. For perspective, we originally published this article in August 2022, and expansion joints continue to come up in conversation, during training sessions, and as well in comments. Expansion joints are besides known as Movement Joints or Movement Accommodation Joints. In ceramic, porcelain, glass, and stone tile installations, they are disquisitional to the success and longevity of the installation. Co-ordinate to the NTCA (National Tile Contractors Association) Reference Manual, an expansion joint is, "A articulation through the tile, mortar, and reinforcing wire down to the substrate." Past integrating these "stress relievers" into the tile assembly, expansion and wrinkle take place without compromising its integrity." Sadly, they are probably the least used, about misunderstood, and yet one of the about important listings in the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) Handbook. The reason they are so critical is that without them, especially on floors discipline to sunlight, most installations that otherwise appear to be well done, will fail. Without enough room for the tile assembly to aggrandize, the tile will pop up or "tent" most times in the middle of the floor. This situation can occur in both commercial as well as residential jobs, and so none of them are exempt from this requirement. If y'all are not sure what I hateful by tenting tile, here is an unfortunate example. The really sorry function of this state of affairs is that the installer did an excellent job… except for the lack of whatever expansion joints. To refine the statement I fabricated about a failure review in Floor Installation Troubleshooting: "I of the most basic and important facts an installer should know when working with ceramic(including porcelain, glass, and natural stone) tile is to always take expansion joints in place. If expansion joints are not part of the installation, failure is lurking in the shadows waiting to strike. On this project, 5,000 sq. ft. of tile was installed on the floor of a public building. An unqualified installer who was a sub to a sub to a sub put the tile in, and he did not install any expansion joints within the body of the tile or effectually the perimeter. In ii places the tile was tented to the signal where I could put my easily 1 on top of the other underneath the tented tiles." Furthermore, "You have to allow for expansion, whether residential or commercial. Expansion joints are not optional – they are a requirement." The 2022 TCNA HandbookEJ171 Move Joint Guidelines for Ceramic, Drinking glass and Rock clearly states, "The blueprint professional or engineer shall show the specific locations and details of movement joints on projection drawings." Given this sentence, where does the misunderstanding begin? Unfortunately, many people involved in the installation of tile products don't understand that the tile does movement. If this expected move is not accommodated, the tile will become rebellious and most probable volition become very expensive for the responsible person or company. In other words, equally a tile installer, you are much ameliorate off simply including expansion joints on every project. Again, however, it is not the installer'southward responsibleness to blueprint and locate these joints. That is to be done by the blueprint professional or engineer. The attached Handbook detail EJ171 shows the necessary components of the move articulation: I call your attention to the sealant. Detect that the elastomeric sealant is attached only on the sides of the ii adjacent tiles. One critical point hither is that the sealant does non contact or bond to the sides and/or lesser of the joint. If the sealant is allowed to practice so, it is locked in place and volition have zero movement ability. In this case, the insertion of a "Rounded Redundancy," or cream backer rod allows the concrete floor to aggrandize and contract, only its primary office is to continue the sealant where it belongs: attached to the tile only. Epitome Courtesy of TNCA Think of the movement of the sealant as an in and out movement like the action of an accordion. The sealant will also allow the tiles to move in a dorsum and forth motion like to rubbing 2 hands together. Lastly, you will notice that the item refers to the articulation material every bit a sealant. This is done purposely to differentiate information technology from lesser quality caulking products (acrylic latex or siliconized latex) which dry hard and do not allow for permanent flexibility. According to the requirements of EJ171, this sealant must be 100% silicone, urethane or polysulfide. If y'all empathize these principles and install the joint properly, you lot tin expect that the expansion joints will permit this required move to take place, keeping the tile flat on the floor where it belongs. Certified Tile Installers empathize this and can properly install movement accommodation joints. >>The Tile Installation Experience with Scott Carothers at Coverings. Here are several comments we've received since publishing this article in 2022. Sergio Esposito "Although I agree with you on the need for expansion joints, I have to disagree on the fact that you thought the installation was otherwise perfect. As anyone can see from the moving-picture show, at that place'south no sign of bonding between thin-set and tile, detect that piece of tile, it has no thin-set stuck to it whatsoever. That tells me that, although the installation looked good, it wasn't executed the right manner, with no back buttering anywhere. A big NO-NO." Scott's Response: Sergio, you are right and my choice of words in the August 2022 article should have been different. This installation did have additional issues that are evident. Notice that the mortar coverage is nearly 100% (minimum coverage in a dry out surface area must exist lxxx%), only as you indicated, in that location is no transfer of the thin-set mortar to the back of the tile. Unfortunately, the installer on this job was in error due to the fact that the job site conditions -- including high temperatures and air current blowing across the floor during the installation -- were not handled properly. Had these two environmental conditions been accommodated forth with dampening the substrate and non allowing the mortar to peel over, the proper bond would have been accomplished. You are also correct that back buttering the tile will increase the bail of the mortar to the back of the tile, only according to the ANSI Specifications (see below), back buttering is not a requirement. Additionally as seen below, the installer should have periodically removed a tile to ensure that he was getting an adequate bond. ANSI A108.5 section 2.five.3 states: "Boilerplate contact area shall be not less than lxxx% except on exterior or shower installation where contact shall exist 95% when not less than three tiles or tile assemblies are removed for inspection. The 80% or 95% coverage shall be sufficiently distributed to give full support of the tile." John Handy Getting professional installers does not guarantee that they volition properly install movement/expansion joints. They claim that I am being overly dramatic and that they do not think information technology is necessary. They will do what I desire, but they think that it is not needed! Wow! Scott'due south Response: John, it sounds equally if yous and I are on the same page nigh the need for expansion joints. I tin't speak to what you accept termed "professional person installers", but I was talking specifically about CTEF Certified Tile Installers (CTIs). In preparation for taking the CTI tests, installers study the necessity for and the requirements of expansion joints and must demonstrate their ability to properly execute them as part of the hands-on test. It is unfortunate that your experience in obtaining something which is a requirement of the tile manufacture has been difficult. I take seen this mindset many times in the field and likewise have been told that I am too fussy. Information technology has naught to practise with me, information technology is a tile manufacture standard. I always encourage installers to follow the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) Handbook and American National Standards Found (ANSI) Specifications. Many times I become calls and emails when one of the "we don't need them (expansion joints)" tile placer (not a qualified and certified tile installer) gets into trouble with a failure. They throw their hands upwardly into the air and inquire, "Why did this happen to me? I've been doing tile for over twenty years and never had a problem." Until now! Gary Milstead I'yard an avid do it yourselfer with over twoscore years of structure feel. I'thou getting ready to tile two bathrooms in the dwelling I'm building. I've used the Schluter System - Ditra and Kerdi-band membranes for waterproofing the unabridged floors and shower stalls in these 2 small-scale rooms. I'thousand concerned regarding perimeter expansion joints. I was planning to simply use cove base of operations tiles along the walls and in the shower. Schluter offers an expansion strip specifically for this use. But it doesn't work with cove base tiles. Should I give up on the cove base idea? And are perimeter isolation joints necessary even in small 30" x threescore" tiled shower stall? Thank you! Scott's Response: Gary, ceramic cove base will work nicely equally long as you lot identify a joint of 100% silicone or urethane sealant in the space betwixt the floor tile and the lip of the cove base. This space should be 1/4", but never less than 1/8". The use of the cove base or the manufacturer's pre-made move joint is strictly your call. Both work well when properly installed. The ANSI Specifications phone call for a motion accommodation joint when there is a change in plane equally in your floor to the wall. Unfortunately, these joints are not always completed during the tile installation which can lead to maintenance and call-dorsum issues in the future. John Thomas I read an article where it says that y'all can accept a Perimeter Motion by just leaving a Gap between the Tile and wall, and not to fill it! My question is if I take an exterior tiled Deck and the tiles that stop on 3 sides of the deck are free to aggrandize or contract, with no wall or difficult surface restricting the motility!, tin these 3 sides of the tiled deck be considered Perimeter Movement?!!! The protruding portion of the deck from the 4th sidewall is just 12 anxiety! It is a. 12x12 feet deck! Thank you Regards Scott'due south Response: John, since the three sides of the deck are non restricted by any walls or columns, movement accommodation joints would not be required. Still, sealant would exist needed on the fourth wall in the joint between the house wall and the edge of the last tile. As to your get-go statement almost an open space between the tile and the wall, this would be true only if the installation is interior. If information technology were an exterior installation, the space would need to be filled with an elastomeric sealant such as 100% silicone or urethane. Ahmad Bahlol hey Scott, I have a few questions: -what's the minimum width for the joint , the gap between the tile where we take the joint will be? - every how many meters we should install it (interior/outside) thanks®ards. Scott'due south Response: Ahmad, we will consider your question in two ways, exterior and interior every bit per the Tile Council of Northward America (TCNA) Handbook. For exterior motion joints, the minimum width is three/8" (9.53 mm) for joints eight' (ii.44 K) on center and minimum ane/2" (12.7 mm) for joints 12' (3.66 1000) on center. The minimum widths must be increased 1/16" (1.59 mm) for each fifteen°F tile surface temperature change greater than 100°F between the summer high and winter low. For interior perimeter movement joints at perimeter walls-not less than 1/4" (6.35 mm) which is unremarkably covered by tile trim, cove base, or shoe molding. Perimeter joints, other than perimeter walls-preferred not less than 1/4" (6.35 mm), but never less than i/8" (3.18 mm). For tiles field of study to direct sunlight or moisture: quarry tile – same as grout joint, just not less than one/iv" (vi.35 mm); all other tile – preferred 1/4" (half-dozen.35 mm), simply not less than ane/8" (three.18 mm). For a change of plane (floor to wall or wall to wall) – same equally grout joint, simply never less than 1/8" (3.18 mm). If I've not made the point virtually how critical expansion or movement joints are to ceramic tile installation, please let me know in the annotate box below. If y'all're nonetheless wondering, consider learning more about the Certified Tile Installer program. Thanks for reading and please tell your friends where you found this information. Annotation: This article was originally published on August 2, 2022. Nosotros updated it on x/09/2018 and at present have a few additional modifications.
Expansion Joints Tabular array of Contents
Tile Installation Expansion Joints Are Critical for Success!
What the TCNAHandbook Says Near Motion Joints
Questions Readers Inquire virtually Expansion Joints
Tile Installation Expansion Joints Are Disquisitional for Success!
What the TCNA Handbook Says Virtually Movement Joints
Questions Readers Ask most Expansion Joints
Other Problems Besides Expansion Joints
Expansion Joints Are Necessary. That'south Non Overly Dramatic!
Cove Base of operations Tile and Expansion Joints
Motion Joints and Exterior Decks
Minimum Widths for Motion Joints
However Wondering Why Y'all Need Movement Joints?
Scott
Topics: Ask Scott, Installing Tile TIps
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Source: https://www.ceramictilefoundation.org/blog/next-ask-scott-expansion-joints-who-needs-them
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